Throughout the years, a great many of toy figures, dolls and other toys have been created which utilize bubble-making features in one of several manners. The basic bubble-making apparatus includes a reservoir having a bubble forming solution, usually a soap and water based mix, together with one or more apertured elements or rings and a source of pressurized air. In operation, the apertured element or ring is moved initially into the reservoir and immersed in the bubble making fluid afterwhich the apertured element or ring is withdrawn from the reservoir such that a film of bubble fluid is formed across the aperture or apertures. The apertured element or ring is then carried into the pressurized air stream resulting in the creation of one or more bubbles being formed as the pressurized air is forced through the apertures or ring. In many devices, a single ring having a single center aperture forms the primary bubble blowing element while in other devices a plurality of apertures are formed in a multiapertured element intended to provide simultaneous creation of a plurality of bubbles when exposed to the air stream.
In response to the continued and long term popularity of bubble making toys, practitioners in the art have provided a virtually endless variety of such devices. Perhaps the simplest of bubble making toys is provided by a simple ring supported upon a wand or handle which is immersed by hand into a bottle of fluid and which is then brought to proximity with the user's mouth allowing the user to simply blow through the ring and form bubbles. Alternatively, the user may wave the ring about in the air rather than blow through the ring. More sophisticated apparatus have been provided which utilize a resilient air bellows of some type together with a piston driven ring support. The resulting structure allows the user to squeeze or deform an air bellows producing pressurized air which simultaneously acts upon the piston and provides a vented air stream through a nozzle aperture. The piston supports a bubble blowing ring and piston travel is selected to move the ring from immersion in the fluid to alignment with the nozzle. As a result, a single squeeze of the elastic resilient bellows moves the ring from the fluid into alignment with the nozzle and directs a stream of air through the ring aperture forming one or more bubbles. A still more sophisticated apparatus has been provided in which a battery-powered electric motor drives a fan producing a continuous air stream while a plurality of bubble blowing rings are moved between fluid immersion and alignment with a nozzle. The latter is coupled to the power driven fan and directs a stream of pressurized air through the bubble-blowing rings as they are brought into alignment with the nozzle. The advantage of such battery powered units is the seemingly continuous creation of bubbles without user effort. Each of the above general types of bubble producing toys has been subject to substantial variation as practitioners endeavor to improve, the interest, amusement and attractiveness of bubble blowing toys.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,853,829 issued to Greene sets forth a TOY having a resilient elastic toy figure body in which the figure torso forms a squeezable deformible air bulb and in which a movable piston assembly is supported within the figure neck. An aperture is formed in the neck portion of the piston assembly. The figure's head and a downwardly projecting bubble blowing ring are movable vertically in response to piston motion as the figure's body is squeezed. A fluid reservoir is supported at the chest area of the figure and receives the bubble blowing ring in the absence of torso squeezing. As the torso is squeezed, the piston drives the head and bubble ring upwardly removing the bubble ring from the reservoir and aligning it with the aperture. The air stream vented through the aperture causes bubbles to be formed.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,093,925 issued to Greene sets forth a BUBBLE MAKING TOY having an elongated handle supporting a collapsible bellows at its lower end and a simulated animal figure at its upper end. An air passage is coupled between the bellows and the figure's head. Within the head, a reservoir is formed and a piston and cylinder assembly together with a bubble blowing ring is movable in response to pressure within the air passage to raise the bubble blowing ring into alignment with an air venting aperture. In addition, the upper forward and upper jaw of the simulated figure is pivotally supported and pivots upwardly under the urging of piston movement to open the figure's mouth. In operation, the user forces the bellows downwardly against the ground causing air pressure to be forced upwardly through the handle passage raising the bubble ring and opening the figure's mouth resulting in a discharge of bubbles from the figure's open mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,713 issued to Crosbie sets forth a PERCOLATING BUBBLE GENERATOR having a pistol like body supporting a resilient air bellows and movable trigger mechanism. The trigger mechanism when squeezed causes collapse of the air bellows producing a stream of pressurized air. The pressurized air is directed by a nozzle into a bubble percolating mechanism. The bubble percolating mechanism supports a quantity of bubble fluid together with air passages which cause the fluid to foam within the percolating mechanism and form bubbles which are forced outwardly through an aperture in the forward surface of the bubble percolating mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,556,392 issued to Chang sets forth an BUBBLING SELF-PROPELLED TOY in the form of a bubbling octopus. A bubble blowing means and drive mechanism are operated from a battery power electric motor source. The motor turns an air fan as the toy is propelled producing a pressurized air stream vented forwardly through the figure's nostrils. An articulated arm supports a bubble blowing ring and is cyclically moved between a first position immersing the ring in a double fluid reservoir and a second position aligning the ring with the nostrils of the figure. The combined action provides a self-propelled figure which repeatedly blows a series of bubbles as it moves about.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,597 issued to Perez sets forth a DOLL WITH MEANS FOR PRODUCING SOAP BUBBLES AND HAVING ANTISPILL CONTAINER in which a bubble making tool having a ring-shaped end is attached to a movable arm of the doll. The arm is able to pivot about the trunk so as to dip the tool into a liquid reservoir and raise it to a mouth opening formed in the doll. An air impeller is located within the doll's head and is operative to force air out of an aperture in the doll's mouth each time the arm is moved to its raised position. Both the arm movement mechanism and the air impeller are driven by a battery-powered motor within the doll torso.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,844 issued to McNett, et al. sets forth a BUBBLE BLOWING TOY FIGURE having a hollow torso configured with a head portion defining a mouth opening and a squeezable body portion. An apparatus is supported within the torso which is operative to produce a plurality of bubbles emanating from the figure's mouth as the torso is squeezed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,238,437 issued to Vowles, et al. sets forth a BUBBLE DISPENSING DOLL having a hollow torso and head configured to resemble a mermaid. The doll head supports a quantity of simulated hair and a head piece ornament configured to resemble a crown. A bubble producing mechanism is formed into an integral self-supporting apparatus which is received and supported within an upper aperture of the doll's head. The bubble producing mechanism includes a battery-powered air impeller which drives an air stream through a foaming chamber within the bubble producing mechanism.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,964,827 issued to Rudy sets forth a FLOATATION DEVICE FOR SWIMMERS having a buoyant figure which is securable a child's upper arm.
While the foregoing described prior art devices are illustrative of the art and have in several instances enjoyed commercial success, there remains nonetheless a continuing need in the art for evermore amusing, entertaining and improved bubble producing toys.